Adjustable guide for a moving sheet

ABSTRACT

A device for guiding a metal sheet or strip during its movement in which the sheet is maintained in a slot which is formed by a stationary plate and two adjustable notched guide bars. At least one of the bars is movable toward and away from another bar using a fine-adjustment moving arrangement, while maintaining a substantially parallel relationship between the bars.

United States Patent Laigle et a1.

[54] I ADJUSTABLE GUIDE FOR A MOVING SHEET [72] inventors: Roger E.Laigle, Torrington; Antone F. Rakich, Waterbury, both of Conn.

[73] Assignee: Anaconda American Brass Company [22] Filed: Dec. 18, 1970[21] Appl. No.: 99,630

[52] US. Cl ..226/199 [51] Int. Cl. ..B65h 23/04 [58] Field of Search..226/l96, 199; 242/76, 157 R V [56] References Cited UNITED STATESPATENTS 3,174,669 3/1965 Zemov ..226/l99X' [151 3,692,223 [451 Sept.19,1972

3,289,908 12/1966- Engle ..226/l99X Primary Examiner-Richard A. SchacherAttorney- -Pennie, Edmonds, Morton, Taylor & Adams [57] ABSTRACT Adevice for guiding a metal sheet or strip during its movement in whichthe sheet is maintained in a slot which is formed by a stationary plateand two adjustable notched guide bars. At least one of the bars ismovable toward and away from another bar using a fine-adjustment movingarrangement, while maintaining a substantially parallel relationshipbetween the bars.

4 claims: Drawing Figures lllm I .lll'lln P'A'TE'N'TEDsEP I 9 m2INVENTORS ROGER E. LAIGLE ANTONE F. RAKICH f%% *f% ATTORNEYS ADJUSTABLEGUIDE FOR A MOVING SHEET BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Metal guide devicesfor guiding moving sheets, including strips, have been used in industryfor many years. Adjustable elements for contacting the edge surface ofthe sheet have been used but means for positioning the sheet and theedge-contacting elements have not been satisfactory for the viewpoint ofease of operation and, in particular, the prior devices have notprovided sufiicient accuracy for many industrial applications.

Moving strips in some operations are required to be precisely controlledto permit a forming or machining operation to be performed on aparticular area of the strip as it moves. Accuracy requirements of lessthan a few thousanths of an inch are not uncommon. Prior guide apparatushas provided adjustable means for engaging the edge surfaces of thestrip but have failed to provide a means which have the requiredprecision. Roller devices used have not been accurate due to variationsin the radii of rolling elements and the tolerance of bearings employed.Many prior guide means have also failed to guide the upper and lowerwide surfaces of the moving strip in cooperation with edge surface guidemeans to provide complete and accurate control of the strip.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Broadly, the present invention is a device forguiding and controlling a moving sheet of material comprising a framehaving a guide surface area, track means on the frame and two-elongatedguide bars positioned perpendicular to the track means and adjacent thesurface area in a substantially parallel relationship to one another andhaving track-engageable means for engaging said track means to permitone guide bar to be moved toward and away from the other guide bar usingfine-adjustment guide bar moving means. Each guide bar includes a notchcomprised of guide surfaces, one of which guides the sheet edge whilethe other guides the wide surface of the sheet.

It is a feature of the invention that after the guide bar is moved it isclamped to the frame to prevent move ment and resulting misalignmentduring operation.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the drawings,

FIG. 1 shows a rolling operation in which the device of the invention isused;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the device and FIG. 3 is an end elevationalview of the device.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT In FIG. 1 sheet or strip 1 isdrawn from supply roll 3 through guide device 5, through forming rollerset 7 and then to take up roll 9. Guide device may be used to guide anytype of sheet material; however, it is particularly applicable forguiding metal strips during operations requiring the accurate feedingand alignment such as rolling, welding and machining operations.

Turning to FIGS. 2 and 3, guide device 5 includes stationary frame plate11 which is secured to a frame, stand or other stationary object. Thestrip 1 is guided and controlled by planar surface 10 of plate 11 and bytwo elongated substantially parallel guide bars 13 and 15. These threeelements (plate 11 and bars 13 and 15) form an elongated enclosure orslot 8 through which strip 1 passes. Guide bars 13 and 15 are movabletoward and away from one another using four guide blocks 17 secured tothe bars and adapted (by size and shape) to reciprocate in track grooves19 and 21. Grooves 19 and 21 are preferably formed by cutting awaymaterial in plate 11 across its entire width but grooves of lesserlength may be used. Alternatively, other track means, such as rails, maybe used provided they are dimensioned not to interfere with the movementof strip 1. Blocks 17 are secured to bars 13 and 15 using fasteners 20or, if desired, they may be integrally formed as part of the bars.

Bars 13 and 15 are maintained substantially parallel through the closetolerances between blocks 17 and grooves 19 and 21. Blocks '17 slide inthe grooves as the bars are moved by fine-adjustment arrangements 22,each of which includes a stationary mounting member 23 secured to plate11 which member receives a threaded stem 27. A handle 29 is securedto'the outside end of stem 27 and the other end of stem 27 turns freelyagainst the side of an alignment block 28. An alignment block 28 issecured to each bar 13 and 15. Since each guide bar has afine-adjustment arrangement, one bar may be adjusted independently ofthe order.

After bars 13 and 15 have been placed in the position required to guidea strip having a certain width, bars 13 and 15 with blocks 17 positionedthereunder are clamped down against the surface 10 of plate 11 toprevent the bars from being moved by strip 1 as it moves through theguide. Clamping is accomplished using clamp units 31 which comprisecross pieces 33, bolts 35 and nuts 37 and washers 39. Each bolt 35 hasone end secured to plate 1 1 for permanent engagement therein while theupper end of the bolt receives a nut 37. Cross pieces 33 aresufficiently deformable so that as the cross pieces are moved down theyfirst engage the upper surfaces of bars 13 and 15 and as movement oftheir ends continues they come to rest on levelers 30 which projectabove surface 10 of plate 11 a distance slightly less than that of bars13 and 15. Since levelers 30 preferably project above surface 10 only afew thousanths of an inch less than bars 13 and 15, steel cross pieces33 have been found to pennit the desired deformation.

Levelers 30 function to prevent inadvertent tilting of cross pieces 30that would occur if a nut 37 were tightened down substantially more onone end than the other. When levelers 30 are not used, a cross piece maybe tilted or misaligned by the operator tightening down one end to theextent that later tightening on the other end results in the bar underthat end being improperly clamped and subject to movement by the strip.

Directing attention again to FIG. 3, a notch 34 in each of bars 13 and15 is formed by guide surface 36 substantially parallel to the edge ofstrip 1 and by guide surface 40 which forms substantially a right anglewith surface 36.

Preferably the guide device is set up and adjusted with strip 1 threadedthrough slot 8 as shown in FIG. 2. Bars 13 and 15 are moved against thesides of strip 1 or spaced from the sides by a selected distance.Handles 29 may be calibrated to indicate to the operator therelationship between one rotation of the handle and the resultingmovement of the bar. If desired one of the guide bars may be permanentlymounted in a fixed position and the other bar moved toward and away fromthe fixed bar.

Guide bars with notches 34 of varying dimensions may be substituted inthe device of this invention to accommodate sheets of differingthickness. Since the wide surfaces of strip 1 are guided by surface andsurfaces 40, the spacing between them may be varied depending on thethickness of the strip and the requirements of control of the strip inthe vertical direction.

We claim: 1. A device for guiding and controlling an elongated metalsheet of material during its movement comprismg a. frame means having aplanar guide surface portion; 7 b. track means on the frame means; c.two substantially parallel spaced-apart guide bar elements positioned onthe frame means; d. at least one such bar element including spacedaparttrack engaging means for relative movement with and guiding by the trackmeans such that the bar is held in a selected orientation from which itis not moved by action of the moving metal sheet; e. each bar element inturn including notched guide means comprising i. a first sheet guidesurface positioned .to contact a wide surface of the sheet, and

ii. a second sheet guide surface positioned adjacent the first surfacefor guiding an edge surface of the sheet;

f. fine-adjustment moving means for moving at least one of such barsindependently of the other bar along said track means; and

g. clamping means for clamping the movable bar element at a plurality oflocations,

whereby the planar surface portion and the notched guide means of theguide bar elements are positionable to accomplish guiding of the sheetduring its movement.

4. A device for guiding and controlling a sheet of material during itsmovement comprising 2. The device of claim 1 having in addition clampingmeans for clamping the guide bar elements against the frame means afterselected positioning of a bar.

3. A device for guiding and controlling a sheet metal material duringits movement comprising a. a frame plate having a planar guide surfaceportion;

b. at least two spaced-apart grooves in the frame plate;

0. two substantially-parallel guide bar elements, each of said elementsin turn comprising an elongated bar, a longitudinal notch therein, and aguide block secure to each end portion of the bar which blocks areadapted to engage with and reciprocate in a groove; d. fine-ad ustmentmoving means for independently moving the bar elements in suchreciprocating manner to position the notches adjacent the sheet to beguided; and

e. clamping means for clamping the bar elements against the frame plateafter such bars have been adjustably moved.

a. a frame plate having a planar guide surface portion;

b. at least two spaced-apart grooves in the frame plate;

0. two substantially parallel guide bar elements, each of said elementsin turn comprising an elongated bar, a longitudinal notch therein, and aguide block secure to each end portion of the bar which blocks areadapted to engage with and reciprocate in a groove;

cl. fine-adjustment moving means for independently moving the barelements in such reciprocating manner to position the notches adjacentthe sheet to be guided; and

e. clamping means for clamping the bar elements against the frame plateafter such bars have been adjustably moved, said clamping meansincluding at least one deformable clamp element positioned to engageeach of the bar elements and pressure means for urging the clamp elementagainst the bars which bars are in turn urged against the frame plateand in which the device has clamp stop means for stopping the clampelement after it has been urged against the bars a selected distance.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3, 692223 Dated September 19, 1972 ljn ent fl Rbger 1- Laigle and Antone F.Rakich It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patentand that said Letters Patent are hereby correctedes shown below:

In the grant'only,

Column 3, delete line 48 Column 4, delete 19m 1 Column 4, after 23,insert:

--4. A device for guiding and contrpiling a sheet of material during itsmovement comprising-- Signed and seaiefl this zonagyofwmbr 1m (SEAL)Attest:

EDWARD M.FLETCHER,JR. RENE D. TEGTMEYER Attes ting Officer ActingCommissioner of Patents FORM Po-1050 (1 9) USCOMM-DC 60376-P69 I LLS.GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: I369 O-36$ -334

1. A device for guiding and controlling an elongated metal sheet ofmaterial during its movement comprising a. frame means having a planarguide surface portion; b. track means on the frame means; c. twosubstantially parallel spaced-apart guide bar elements positioned on theframe means; d. at least one such bar element including spaced-aparttrack engaging means for relative movement with and guiding by the trackmeans such that the bar is held in a selected orientation from which itis not moved by action of the moving metal sheet; e. each bar element inturn including notched guide means comprising i. a first sheet guidesurface positioned to contact a wide surface of the sheet, and ii. asecond sheet guide surface positioned adjacent the first surface forguiding an edge surface of the sheet; f. fine-adjustment moving meansfor moving at least one of such bars independently of the other baralong said track means; and g. clamping means for clamping the movablebar element at a plurality of locations, whereby the planar surfaceportion and the notched guide means of the guide bar elements arepositionable to accomplish guiding of the sheet during its movement. 2.The device of claim 1 having in addition clamping means for clamping theguide bar elements against the frame means after selected positioning ofa bar.
 3. A device for guiding and controlling a sheet metal materialduring its movement comprising a. a frame plate having a planar guidesurface portion; b. at least two spaced-apart grooves in the frameplate; c. two substantially-parallel guide bar elements, each of saidelements in turn comprising an elongated bar, a longitudinal notchtherein, and a guide block secure to each end portion of the bar whichblocks are adapted to engage with and reciprocate in a groove; d.fine-adjustment moving means for independently moving the bar elementsin such reciprocating manner to position the notches adjacent the sheetto be guided; and e. clamping means for clamping the bar elementsagainst the frame plate after such bars have been adjustably moved. a. aframe plate having a planar guide surface portion; b. at least twospaced-apart grooves in the frame plate; c. two substantially parallelguide bar elements, each of said elements in turn comprising anelongated bar, a longitudinal notch therein, and a guide block secure toeach end portion of the bar which blocks are adapted to engage with andreciprocate in a groove; d. fine-adjustment moving means forindependently moving the bar elements in such reciprocating manner toposition the notches adjacent the sheet to be guided; and e. clampingmeans for clamping the bar elements against the frame plate after suchbars have been adjustably moved, said clamping means including at leastone deformable clamp element positioned to engage each of the barelements and pressure means for urging the clamp element against thebars which bars are in turn urged against the frame plate and in whichthe device has clamp stop means for stopping the clamp element after ithas been urged against the bars a selected distance.
 4. A device forguiding and controlling a sheet of material during its movementcomprising